Connecting with Him

John 4:23, “…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks”

Connecting with God has always seemed challenging and even mystic for mankind. It’s not that challenging for Him. He created us to connect with Him. He created ways for us to connect with Him. His grace is the key to open the door for that connection. His love and forgiveness are the passage ways for us to connect.

 

So with all that God offers to us for the connecting, the next step is ours. He commands us to love Him with all our heart, mind and strength. What are we to do? Let me try this on for size…Love Him! Not in a limited way like Sunday morning only kinda love, but love Him every day of the week kinda love. Love Him with our work, study, play and family life. This is real worship – in spirit and truth. It’s what He seeks.

When each Christ follower lives their life as worship to Him during the week we can gather to worship as a symphony of worship at the weekly church gatherings. Spend time worshipping Him today!

Looking for a Traveling Companion

Day 3 of 21 of Spiritual Growth Journal

 

Luke 4:1,14, “Jesus…was led by the Spirit in the desert”; “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…”

Jesus never traveled alone. He traveled with His friends and family. But the times He seemed to be separated from them, He had a traveling companion in the Holy Spirit. As valuable as the people around Him were, He gained so much more traveling with the Holy Spirit.

As you launch out for the next few days in the discovery of Christ in you, we have arranged for a traveling companion. Okay, well the truth is God arranged for Him to be with you even before you started your journey. That’s right, the same Holy Spirit that led and empowered Jesus will be with you. He will be available to lead, teach, empower, encourage, comfort, illuminate and help you. He is available to you the entire journey – these 21 days, this year of your life as you grow to be like Christ and every year after. He is available night and day.

In his journey to the desert with all that the journey included, Jesus followed the help of the Holy Spirit. Will you travel with the Holy Spirit too? Take a few minutes right now and just get to know Him with a simple conversation (prayer). Tell Him about your hopes in this journey and listen for Him to share his.

To Get Where We’re Going, Start Up

Day 2 of 21 Spiritual Growth Journal Devotional

Matthew 5:1-2, “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:’”

We find Jesus pulling away from the busyness of ministry and the popularity of the crowd to invest in the lives of those who would come after Him.  He went up on a mountainside and sat down. We don’t have a record of Jesus sending an invitation to the class or ringing the school bell. We do see the hunger in the disciples to come after Him, to sit with Him, to learn from Him – to grow in this new family business.

It seems their eagerness to learn from Him and not just about Him is demonstrated much like when they left their nets. Of course they would have no way of knowing what He was about to share with them. But we do. Wow! This teaching on the top (found in Matthew 5-7) would lay the foundation for every Christ follower to build their understanding and life on.

The disciples would in time move from just knowing about Him to living for Him. We have to make the same decision. What will we decide? Let’s make these 21 days a time of coming after, sitting with, learning from and growing in Jesus as He leads us in our journey.

The Invitation is a Declaration

Matthew 4:19, “’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”

Jesus’ first invitation to those who would become his disciples (and the apostles) is really more than an invitation - it’s a challenging declaration too. Most invitations give you an option of refusal. Jesus’ invitation gives you the option of a transformation to live life with a cause that is bigger than yourself.

Jesus was very clear. First, He said “Come” – which means a directional change toward Him and not away from Him. Second, He said, “Follow me” – which means an understanding that the leadership of their lives will not be left to them alone. Third, Jesus said, “I will make you” – which calls for the submission and humility in the student-teacher relationship. Last in His invitation, He says they would become “fishers of men” – this would mean a commitment to change  and be in His family’s business.

This invitation, and declaration, is still a clarion call to every Christ follower today. What will we choose? His hope is that you respond much like those first disciples did, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” Leave what you must, choose today, and follow Him!

a 21-day journey is coming...

It's been way too long since I have blogged. I have written a 21-day devotional I will post daily beginning Sunday, January 5 on my blog for your reading pleasure. My hope and prayer is that it will encourage you to grow as a Christ follower. If you are not a Christ follower now, then I encourage you to read and learn from these snapshots what being a Christ follower is supposed to be.

Today I was reading Acts 2:42, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer." (NLT). I prayed for the Lord to keep me devoted to these same things to which the early church was devoted. They are very relational - all under the same teaching, fellowship, sharing in meals, the Lord's supper, prayer. I also prayed for Bethel Church, where I serve, to be the same. A precious retired pastor that attended a church I once served said to me, "Pastor, if everyone in the church had their oar in the water rowing, they would not have time to complain." His nuggets of truth were so encouraging. So in this new year we can be devoted to rowing.
 
It is encouraging to me that when Jesus is the center of the church, He is the unifying factor. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects of our faith, we become a unified bunch. (Hebrews 12:2). When our eyes are focused on Him, it's difficult to look at others who can distract us. My prayer for all of us is to stay focused and devoted and not be distracted with any spiritual ADD - attention deficit disorder.

On a personal level, I choose to make Jesus the center of my life (and not a top priority). If He is a top priority, it is a challenge to involve Him in all the priorities down the list. However, if He is the center of my life, then everything I am and do comes from this relationship I have with Him. This is a paradigm shift for many of us. In making Jesus the center, I encourage you to follow me as a I follow Christ.

Jesus, may those who read this blog today hear your voice calling to them, "Follow me." Let them walk in your blessing and favor this year. Help them to keep their eyes on You! Amen!

Make the most of it...

It's amazing how fast a year can speed through our lives. Does anyone realize I am writing this blog just 13 days before Christmas? And if I remember correctly just seven days after comes a new year. Unbelievable.
Paul (the apostle) told us to make the most of every opportunity. How do you slow the opportunities down long enough to make the most out of them? They keep flying by. Just last night I experienced one of the greatest opportunities to date in my work with the great Bethel church in Tampa. We celebrated Christmas with various arts sharing the wonderful story of God's plan for our salvation. With over 800 people in attendance, I personally had the privilege of inviting our guests to have the great gift of Christmas, Christ himself. After asking them if they knew what God wanted for Christmas, I shared with them it was their lives. Many responded. It was awesome. Pray with us as we continue to reach out to the precious friends and invite them to become family.
How about you? What are you giving God for Christmas? Make the most of it...

daily bread

in a prayer we often call "the Lord's prayer" we find a phrase He teaches us to pray. This phrase is give us this day our daily bread. A great friend in the ministry shared in a meeting last week about this phrase. He shared some challenging thoughts. This is a one day at a time prayer. God does not advance money to our accounts until we need it. He is our source. As God calls us to a place of ministry, service and opporunity, He will provide. Just a great reminder... Enjoy your daily bread!